Went to the ranch last Saturday. Followed two botanists around while they searched for native grasses and other interesting plants. It was quite interesting, but the whole time they were looking at plants, I kept one eye turned towards the canyon below where most of our turkeys hang out. So far this winter I have yet to see any turkeys and it has me bothered.
On Sunday morning I woke at first light listening to honkers making spring sounds in the gravel pit behind my house. As I lay there I heard another unmistakable sound, a turkey yelp.
I listened and it came again. Yelp, yelp yelp…..yelp, yelp..put, put..yelp, yelp, yelp, yelp, yelp.. I climbed out of bed and began to search for the source of the sound. It came from the north, the direction of houses. Our neighbors across the street have a large oak tree in their side yard. I glanced into the upper branches of the oak and there stood a turkey hen. A closer look revieled two more turkeys on lower branches. Linda brought coffee and I laid there drinking my morning coffee while watching the three big birds stretch and ward off crows.
They were in no hurry to come down and probably stayed in the tree for an hour. Finally they glided down and out of site. Time to break out my turkey gear. We’ll be hunting this weekend.
